Chapter 3, Autumn Wild Geese

This is indeed the order to evict guests. The autumn wild goose, at that moment, was at a loss and naturally wished to leave this oppressive room as soon as possible, thus hurriedly nodding in agreement, no longer displaying the subtle sense of superiority that had been faintly revealed upon arrival

The autumn wild goose raised its head and smiled, saying: "Indeed, it is I, the servant."

The autumn wild goose's face turned a few shades whiter, and she said resentfully: "Yes."

Naturally, I do not wish to. Lian Qiao is a straightforward and spirited person, and without a second thought, she said: "Miss need not worry, I will not stay in the manor for a lifetime; in a few days, the master will come to fetch you."

Her voice was soft and laced with a smile, and Qiu Yan instinctively nodded in agreement. Suddenly realizing that everyone in the manor had donned new clothes except for the three of them standing before her, she found it impossible to voice this thought. Just as she was about to deflect the conversation, she heard Jiang Ruan gently say: "The two maids by my side are clumsy and awkward, and their attire is not as festive as that of Sister Qiu Yan. There is something Sister Qiu Yan has misunderstood; I am not joking. Although Sister Qiu Yan is a servant, it seems she lives more comfortably and with more dignity than I do."

Qiu Yan stood in place, slowly clenching her fists. Jiang Ruan pinched her brow and said, "I am already tired after just a little while; my body has not yet fully recovered. I cannot personally wish Granny Lan a Happy New Year, so I trouble you, Sister Qiu Yan, to convey my apologies on my behalf." After saying this, she instructed Bai Zhi, "Why aren't you going to see Sister Qiu Yan off?"

The autumn wild geese bit their lips: "Isn't it unreasonable to impose such a demand on the young lady"

"Good birds choose the right trees to perch on, people strive for higher places, and water flows to lower grounds; what Qiu Yan Jie does is merely human nature. There is no need to feel shy about it." She tilted her head and chuckled, "This is a good thing. If one day Qiu Yan Jie truly becomes the thirteenth concubine, I will certainly present her with a gift of rouge. Qiu Yan Jie is so dignified, and I believe this dignity is earned through her intelligence."

Qiu Yan was taken aback, a chill slowly rising from her feet, causing her face to turn pale in an instant. She bit her lip and stared wide-eyed at Jiang Ruan, unable to utter a single word

After Bai Zhi sent Qiu Yan out, Lian Qiao then asked: "What was going on just now? How did Qiu Yan get involved with the second son of the Ma family?"

"Your name is Qiu Yan, isn't it?" The person on the bed spoke, their voice somewhat hoarse, yet strangely imbued with a subtle emotion

Why wait? The autumn geese will soon take us back to the capital

After a while, the autumn wild geese finally gathered the courage to straighten their chests and said: "I do not know what the young lady is talking about." The first half of the sentence was said with confidence, but for some reason, the latter half felt somewhat guilty.

She and Young Master Ma Er have long been secretly meeting, and now is the time when they are in a sweet and harmonious phase.

Jiang Ruan was not in a hurry; she simply brought the warm tea close to her lips and took a small sip

As Qiu Yan set down the food basket, she quickly surveyed the room. This was her first visit to Jiang Ruan's dwelling, and she noticed that the small space was permeated with an air of dilapidation and decay. There were even signs of rainwater seeping into the walls through the cracks in the eaves. The quilt on the bed was extremely thin, and not to mention the hand gestures, even the ordinary utensils were in a state of disrepair. It was strange for anyone to not be weak living in such a damp and dark room. At first glance, it hardly resembled the boudoir of a young lady from a prominent family; even the lowest servants in the village would not be subjected to such squalor.

Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao stood by Jiang Ruan's side, one closely watching Qiu Yan. In the courtyard, apart from the three of them, everyone else harbored ulterior motives

Lianqiao suddenly realized: "No wonder she was so frightened, tsk, what a truly despicable person, so utterly shameless!" After all, she was just a girl in her teens, and her face immediately flushed: "But miss, how do you know about these matters?"

In the previous life, Qiu Yan's affair with Young Master Ma Er was discovered a few years later, exposing this scandalous relationship. Young Master Ma Er remained unscathed, but Qiu Yan was ultimately subjected to the pig cage punishment. Before being punished, Qiu Yan had already been tormented to the point of losing her sanity, repeatedly claiming to be the thirteenth concubine of Young Master Ma Er's family. It is likely that during their passionate moments, Young Master Ma Er made such a promise to her. However, Qiu Yan ultimately did not live to become the thirteenth concubine, and naturally, Jiang Ruan would not disclose this matter.

"Sister Qiu Yan is a clever person," Jiang Ruan interrupted her, "Otherwise, how could she become the thirteenth concubine?"

Qiu Yan had been immersed in the grand estate for a long time and understood that although the Zhang Lan family was greedy and harsh, they would not dare to treat a young lady in such a manner unless they had received instructions from above. Since it was the master's intention, Qiu Yan naturally would not interfere

Jiang Ruan has fewer opportunities to go out than she and Bai Zhi do. Throughout the year, there are endless chores to do in the yard, leaving little chance to encounter such matters. Lian Qiao was puzzled in her heart, but Jiang Ruan did not answer her question, only asking: "Lian Qiao, do you want to stay here for the rest of your life?"

The girl who came is named Qiu Yan, a senior maid in the Zhuang family. Although her status is not as high as that of Zhang Lan, she still holds a certain degree of respect. Having Qiu Yan deliver meals on New Year's Eve is something that has not happened in previous years; it is likely that Zhang Lan did this to silence the crowd and to show her concern for the ailing Miss Jiang.

Jiang Ruan smiled and said: "Tonight is New Year's Eve, right? Sister Qiu Yan, your outfit is so festive, it looks really beautiful on you"

This remark is somewhat strange, and Qiu Yan is at a loss, yet she still smiles and says: "It is all instructed by my aunt; I am merely a servant. If we are to speak of beauty, Miss, you are truly jesting."

The words were too sharp, completely inconsistent with the gentle tone of the master, and for no reason, Qiu Yan felt a wave of tension. She couldn't help but raise her head to look at the person on the bed. The candlelight was dim, and the girl on the bed took the hot tea that Bai Zhi handed her. The rising steam from the tea obscured half of her face, making it impossible to discern her expression; only the long, drooping eyelashes traced a graceful arc, surprisingly enchanting.

Jiang Ruan let out a gentle sigh: "Aunt Lan is truly thoughtful, has she made new clothes for everyone in the village?"

Lianqiao was taken aback and instinctively looked at Jiang Ruan, only to see the girl slowly stifling a delicate yawn. Beneath her straight nose, her lips, having sipped the tea, were rosy and curved into a small arc.

Jiang Ruan's voice came through: "Sister Qiu Yan is so dignified; when the time comes, she will surely be able to marry into a good family. The second son of Master Ma outside the city is quite good. Master Ma already has twelve concubines, so Sister Qiu Yan would be the thirteenth concubine."

Lianqiao was deeply perplexed; not only that, she also discovered that today Jiang Ruan seemed to have transformed into a different person. The usually submissive Jiang Ruan had audaciously threatened Qiu Yan, and even when discussing such sordid matters, her expression showed no signs of discomfort, as if she were merely speaking of an everyday occurrence.

When Bai Zhi and Qiu Yan reached the door, Jiang Ruan spoke again: "By the way, Sister Qiu Yan, regarding the clothes for my two maidservants that we discussed earlier, since it is the New Year, I would like to see them look a bit more festive. Please think of a way to make them appear more cheerful."

Jiang Ruan smiled; she was well aware of when he would come to fetch her. She had no patience to wait until that time, nor did she wish to wait.